Jealousy
by USxArthurxKirklandxUK
Summary: Wolfram’s younger cousin, Gabriel von Bielefeld, comes to Blood Pledge Castle after his parents decide to go on vacation for a few weeks in Vandarvia. Gabriel takes a liking to Yuuri, and Wolfram, of course, gets jealous when Yuuri seems to like him, as w
1. Chapter 1

Jealousy

Jealousy

Summary: Wolfram's younger cousin, Gabriel von Bielefeld, comes to Blood Pledge Castle after his parents decide to go on vacation for a few weeks in Vandarvia. Gabriel takes a liking to Yuuri, and Wolfram, of course, gets jealous when Yuuri seems to like him, as well…

--

Yuuri sped down the hill towards his house, swerving to avoid joggers, random pedestrians, and in a few cases, cars. He turned into his driveway, skidding a little from the fast speed he'd idiotically done it at. Murata was waiting for him next to the garage. "Shibuya, ready to go?"

"Yeah," Yuuri replied. "I'm thinking that I'll try to bring my bike with. Might give me something to do during down time, since we're gonna be over there for a few months."

Murata shrugged. "Fine by me, so long as you can fit it in that kiddy pool in your backyard," he replied.

Yuuri laughed, and they both walked into his back yard, passing his mother, who was hanging up laundry on the clothesline. She smiled at her son, and watched calmly as he and his friend climbed into the small kiddy pool, and as they – and her son's bike, for some odd reason – were swallowed up by the small amount of water.

--

"Where are we?" Yuuri asked, rubbing his lower back, where he'd landed roughly.

"About two miles from Blood Pledge Castle," Murata replied. "Maybe a mile from Shinou's temple, if that makes you feel any better."

"A mile?" Yuuri said, sighing. "You're kidding me…"

"You brought your bike," Murata pointed out. "We can double-up and get to Shinou's temple, and then you can keep going on to the capital."

"Fine," Yuuri sighed. He lugged his bike up, and swung a leg over it. After Murata got himself situated on the newspaper stand of Yuuri's bike, Yuuri kicked off, shakily at first (as he was unused to the added weight), but soon, they were speeding down the hill towards Shinou's temple, which Yuuri could make out at the base of a hill a short distance away.

Yuuri dropped Murata off a few minutes later, and took off again, shifting gear now that he was going uphill.

Soon enough, he ran into a small group of horsemen, and recognized Conrad at the front, his blonde fiancé riding next to him. He rolled to a stop, waving up at them.

Conrad waved back, and Yuuri could make out a faint smile on his face. Wolfram ordered his horse forward, trotting up to his double-black fiancé. "Wimp! Why the hell did you have to come through all the way out here?"

"Sorry," Yuuri replied, laughing nervously. "Didn't know I'd come through this far away."

"Hmph. Doesn't matter," Wolfram said after a moment's pause. "Let's go home. I have to be there when Gabriel shows up."

"Gabriel?"

"My cousin," Wolfram said with obvious distaste. "My uncle on my father's side and his wife are going on a vacation to Vandarvia, so they're ditching their kid with me for two weeks."

"You don't like him much, huh?" Yuuri asked, sweat dropping.

"That kid's the biggest brat I know," Wolfram sniffed. Yuuri believed this comment would have been, had Wolfram not changed since their engagement, the biggest case of hypocrisy ever.

"What Wolfram's saying," Conrad said calmly, "is that if Wolfram has anything Gabriel wants, Gabriel will make it his mission in life to get it from him. He's been that way since he was born."

"Hmph. He should respect his elders," Wolfram said bluntly. "I'm older than him by thirty years! That little cretin should learn his manners!"

"Wolfram, calm down," Yuuri soothed, laughing. "I'm sure he's fine. And if you don't want to watch him, I can, if you want. I'm not too good with babies, but I can deal with older kids."

Wolfram looked away. "You have your duties as king, Wimp. Worry about those before my problems."

Yuuri's smile dropped off his face. Here he was, attempting to be nice, and Wolfram had to act like this… Wolfram seemed to notice the missing smile, and gave a quiet 'Hmph'. "Idiot. If you really want to help, feel free, but don't blame me if Gwendal wants to strangle you for skipping out on your paperwork again."

Yuuri sweatdropped, chuckling nervously. "True enough…"

--

Yuuri watched as Conrad removed his bike from the side of his horse. The brunette gently set it on the ground, kicking the kickstand to hold it up, and handed off the horse to a soldier, who walked it towards the stables. Yuuri carefully jumped off of Ao, and watched as Wolfram did the same. Another soldier stepped forward and took their horses off after Conrad's, and Wolfram brushed off his pants.

Yuuri heard the clatter of hooves and turned around, just in time to see a carriage pull up. Wolfram stepped to his side stiffly, unnaturally straight. "Gabriel?" he asked under his breath. The blonde soldier nodded in return, but said nothing.

The door opened, and a young woman, maybe around Lady Cheri's age, stepped out. She smiled towards Wolfram, and Yuuri could tell this was his aunt – they had the same unmistakable eye shape, and though hers were darker, she had the same emerald green eyes as Wolfram, as well.

"Welcome to Blood Pledge Castle," Wolfram said politely, bowing his head slightly.

Wolfram's aunt covered her mouth and laughed quietly. "Wolfram, you're being so formal! I'm your auntie, aren't I?" she asked. Wolfram turned pink around the ears. "Embarrassed?" she teased.

"Please try not to treat me like a child," Wolfram said stiffly.

"Oh, poo, Wolfie," she laughed. "You ruin my fun." She laid eyes on Yuuri for the first time, and her eyes widened with realization. "Oh! Wolfram, why didn't you introduce your fiancé to me? It's such a pleasure to meet the Maou!" she exclaimed.

Yuuri inclined his head with a smile. "Nice to meet you, as well, Lady…?"

"Kirsten," she said, nodding. "And my husband, Randolph," she said as another blonde-haired noble exited the carriage. He was unusually tall, and smiled down at Yuuri. Yuuri suddenly felt extremely short.

"We're finally here?" a sleepy voice asked.

"Yes, Gabriel – why don't you come and greet your cousin Wolfram?"

A small boy, maybe around thirteen years old, stepped down from the stagecoach, brushing off his navy pants. Yuuri was struck by the resemblance between Wolfram and the kid. It went beyond looks – there was some way that Gabriel carried himself that seemed so Wolfram-ish. The only difference other than their ages and heights that Yuuri could pick out was that Gabriel seemed to be a shade or two more tan.

Yuuri smiled at Gabriel, intent on the boy having a good stay at Blood Pledge Castle. "It's nice to meet you, Gabriel. I'm Yuuri."

"The Maou," Gabriel said quietly, eyes widening with surprise. "Wow… I guess Mom wasn't lying when she saw I would be staying with you…"

Kirsten looked at her son sternly. "Gabriel! Behave yourself, understood? Listen to what His Majesty and Wolfram say."

"Why the hell do I have to listen to _him?_" Gabriel spat out, pointing at Wolfram. "That pretty-boy ain't that much older than me!" Wolfram gritted his teeth. Yuuri could tell he was biting back quite a few insults, most likely in extremely colorful language.

"He's engaged to His Majesty," Kirsten sighed, "so he is, indeed, in charge of you!"

Gabriel crossed his arm, annoyed, but nodded. "Fine," he relented. "I'll see you in a few weeks, Mom."

Kirsten leaned down, planting a kiss on Gabriel's forehead. "Be a good boy," she repeated quietly. "Be nice to Wolfram."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "If that pretty-boy can't handle me, how the hell will he ever handle taking care of children for Yuuri?"

Wolfram snapped. "How dare you address my fiancé so non-challantly? You have no right to call him informally, let alone by his first name!"

"And who gave you the right to yell at me?" Gabriel shot back angrily.

"Gabriel," Kirsten scolded immediately. "Wolfram's right. You shouldn't be calling the Maou by his first name! You just met him!"

"No, really, it's okay," Yuuri smiled. "I don't mind. In fact, I prefer it." Wolfram winced at the words. Yuuri had to wonder why. "Anyways, Gabriel, if you're going to be staying with us, how about I give you the grand tour?"

Gabriel smiled lightly. "I think I'd enjoy that very much… Yuuri."

Wolfram looked away, trying his best to look as if he couldn't care less.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hm… over there is the room Wolfram and I share," Yuuri said, gesturing towards his bedroom door, "And across the hall is my daughter's room – her name's Greta, by the way. I'm sure you'll get to know her soon enough," he added, smiling down at Gabriel.

Gabriel smiled up at the double black. "If she's anything like her father, I'm sure we'll get along fine," he said, words sugar coated, probably to the point that it'd rot your teeth out.

Yuuri laughed. "She's adopted," he explained. "But she's still my daughter, of course…"

"Yuuri?" Greta opened the room to her room, peeking out. "Oh… Who's this?"

"Wolfram's cousin, Gabriel," Yuuri explained. "Come on. He won't bite."

Gabriel smiled at the small girl in front of him. "Nice to meet you, Princess Greta," he greeted, holding out a hand.

Greta's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Oh… nice to meet you, too, Gabriel," she said, taking his hand. Gabriel bowed with perfect manners, kissing her hand. Greta laughed. "You're funny," she said quietly. "Did you know that you look a lot like Wolfram-Papa?"

Gabriel's smile faded somewhat. "I've heard… Not that it matters. Wolfram's my cousin – it's to be expected that we'd look somewhat alike."

Greta blinked, wondering what the sudden change in Gabriel's demeanor was about.

Gabriel turned back to Yuuri, a smile on his face once again. "Hey, Yuuri – I want to see the rest of the grounds!" he said, grasping onto the Maou's sleeve.

Wolfram watched from a few feet away, seething quietly.

--

Gabriel watched as Yuuri continued to lead him through the maze that made up the castle gardens. It seemed his Aunt Cheri had gotten a little carried away with her 'garden plans'.

He smiled slightly as Yuuri laughed at something stupid he'd said, then nodded as he tried to explain whatever it was he was talking about in more detail.

The double-black Maou was perfect. His eyes were such a pure black, untainted by any blues or browns, and his hair was the same way. Even his body was perfect – he wasn't one of those freaky muscle-builders like any of the soldiers that hung around the Bielefeld lands, but he wasn't a scrawny good-for-nothing, either.

Gabriel had to keep himself in check – just the thought that his stupid older cousin actually _had_ Yuuri was enough to put him into a fury. After all, why would that pompous jerk EVER deserve someone like Yuuri? Wolfram had already yelled at Yuuri a few times since he'd got there, insulting him the whole time – who in their right mind called their 'beloved' fiancé a 'wimp' and 'ill-suited Maou'? Add in the fact that Yuuri was Wolfram's king as well, and… well, it was just plain idiotic.

Gabriel would have made sure Yuuri was _much _more loved… After all, Yuuri deserved nothing but the best, and Wolfram was obviously the farthest from that.

Gabriel wouldn't stop until the Maou was his.

--

Yuuri was busy checking his bike for any scratches or other problems. He tightened his brakes, testing them by rolling his bike and squeezing the brakes. It stopped immediately. Good.

He was working on tightening up his newspaper stand when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned, and saw Gabriel looking at him with curiosity lighting up his face. "What's that?"

"It's my bike," Yuuri explained, smiling as he tightened the last bolt. "Where I'm from, people use them for transportation. Sort of like carriages or horses here, but you don't have to feed it."

"How does it work?" Gabriel questioned, walking over to it, putting a hand on the metal frame hesitantly.

"The rider balances on the seat," Yuuri explained, placing his hand on the black seat of the contraption, "and pedals with their feet. The chain spins the wheels, and the bike moves. They change gear depending on how fast they wanna go and if they're going up or downhill."

"Wow… Think you could teach me?" Gabriel asked, smiling. Yuuri was struck with how similar he looked to Wolfram… But Wolfram never smiled like that. Yuuri found himself wishing the stubborn blonde would smile at him so cutely.

"The bike's a little big for you," Yuuri laughed. "But I'll give you a ride, if you want."

"A ride?"

Yuuri nodded, and patted the newspaper stand. "Here. Sit down," he instructed, straddling the bike seat.

He heard Gabriel climb on behind him. "Um, is this safe?" he heard the blonde boy question.

"Put your feet on the bars…" Yuuri said, looking down at the boot-clad legs behind his own. Gabriel eventually found a good place that gave him a good enough foothold. "Put your arms around my waist so you don't fall," Yuuri commented.

Gabriel's arms wrapped around Yuuri's torso, and the double black pushed off, his feet falling easily into the rhythm for bike riding.

Gabriel's arms tightened around Yuuri as soon as they began moving. The movement was far smoother than riding a horse, and he felt the fact a little unnerving. Yuuri laughed reassuringly.

After getting used to the way Yuuri's body moved as he pedaled the contraption around, Gabriel began to enjoy himself.

"Hey, Gabriel," Yuuri whispered. "Wanna sneak out?"

Gabriel looked up. "Huh?"

"Let's go into town. We can go do something there. It'll be more fun than staying here, anyways."

Gabriel sent Yuuri his most flattering smile. "Sounds great, Yuuri!"

Yuuri smiled back at him. He liked having Gabriel around; the boy was a good tension soother. And the fact that he called him by his name, and not "His Majesty" or "Maou" all the time… That was the cherry on top.

--

A few minutes later, Yuuri blinked his eyes as he adjusted to his colored contacts. His hair was hidden under a hood (no time to dye it, and besides, someone would notice if his hair still had some of it later), and his normal black clothes exchanged for his traveling ones.

Gabriel was simpler – he only had to change clothes. He looked at himself in the mirror. "We look like peasants," he commented.

"Perfect," Yuuri shrugged. "Then we can go around unnoticed."

Five minutes later, Yuuri was speeding out the door to the castle, Gabriel clinging to his back.

An hour and a half later, they were back, Yuuri's contacts now missing from an encounter with a strange, seven-legged octopus-like thing in the marketplace. Gabriel was laughing, his cheek resting against Yuuri's back.

Wolfram froze, staring out a nearby window. He'd been in a panic up until that second; he'd been unable to find his fiancé for the whole time he'd been gone. And here he was, playing with Gabriel.

Not that it mattered – it wasn't like he was jealous of the attention Gabriel was getting from Yuuri or anything…

--

Yuuri chewed thoughtfully on his dinner. Gabriel and Wolfram were in their respective places – Gabriel across from him, Wolfram next to him. They were eating in perfect sync, which was a little more than odd.

"Would you pass the gravy, Yuuri?" they asked in unison. They both glared at one another. "I asked first," they stated at the same time.

"Like you need it. You'll get fat," Gabriel shot at Wolfram.

Wolfram flushed darkly. "Why you inconsiderate little brat!"

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "Hmph!"

"Wolfram, Gabriel, behave," Cheri sighed from her own spot at the table. "I swear. Whenever the two of you get together, it's a war…"

"I didn't offer to watch him," Wolfram spat. "Aunt Kirsten just dumped him here!"

"Well, I didn't ask to come!" Gabriel shot back. "If it weren't for Yuuri, I would have gone back as soon as my parents left! After all, what kind of idiot can't stay home alone for a month, especially with all the servants?!"

Wolfram flushed angrily. "Listen up, you! Yuuri's _my_ fiancé! Stop acting like he belongs to you!"

"Jealous of your little cousin?" Gabriel said, laughing. "You've sunk pretty low!"

Wolfram slammed his hands on the table, standing up. His chair fell to the floor with a crash. "I've had just about enough of your taunts!"

"Wolfram!" Yuuri said quickly, putting a hand on his fiancé's hand. "Calm down! He's a kid!"

Wolfram wrenched his hand out of Yuuri's. "Don't you act all innocent, Yuuri! _You're _the one encouraging him!" he snapped.

"What? Wolfram—"

"I'm going to bed," Wolfram declared, placing his napkin next to his nearly untouched plate of food. He turned around on a hell, walking brusquely over to the door. He pulled it open – obviously harder than he intended, because he stumbled as the large, heavy door nearly knocked him over – and disappeared into the hall.

Yuuri looked at Gabriel with accusing eyes. "Gabriel! Teasing is one thing, but what you just did to Wolfram…!"

"He deserved it," Gabriel said simply. "Besides. If he can't take the insults from a kid like me, he won't get far in politics."

Yuuri sighed. Wolfram could care less what others thought of him, in Yuuri's eyes – after all, he was always declaring everlasting devotion to Yuuri, a male… But insults from a family member were far different than insults from someone you barely knew.

"Gabriel, that was still incredibly rude," Cheri said, tone scolding. Yuuri had never heard her like this, so it was a bit of a wake-up call. "You should apologize to Wolfram."

"I will when he faces it like a man," Gabriel shrugged. "If he can handle it, that is."

"I'll go talk with him," Yuuri said, standing. "Gabriel, I'll talk with you later," he said, glaring at him. Even if he liked Gabriel, Wolfram was a good friend. It was wrong of Gabriel to have said the things he had.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Gabriel kicked at the floor, waiting in silence. Yuuri had said he was going to talk with him later, but he had yet to show up. Where was he? In retrospect, he felt bad for angering the double black… But there was no way he was apologizing. If anything, Wolfram should apologize for getting angry like that – he was, after all, supposed to be an 'adult', though the other blonde wasn't all that much older than himself.

It had started out as just a selfish desire to take Yuuri away from Wolfram, but Gabriel had come to truly enjoy the Maou's company. He sighed again, and flopped backwards onto the mattress of his bed. After a few more minutes of waiting, he rolled over, burying his head into the pillows. Had he really made Yuuri mad?

Gabriel practically jumped out of his skin when he heard a knock at the door. He sat up, hastily smoothing out his messy hair. "C-Come in!" he called.

The door opened, and a rather ruffled-looking Yuuri entered. His hair was a mess, he had a rather noticeable bruise on the left side of his face, and he had a few smudges of dirt criss-crossing all over his face and neck.

"Y-Yuuri! What happened?" Gabriel asked, surprised.

"Wolfram threw a potted plant at me," Yuuri sighed, "and then barricaded himself in our bedroom."

Gabriel sent Yuuri a look of understanding and pity, but was writhing with anger and annoyance at his cousin on the inside. "What a…! How could he?"

Yuuri shrugged. "It's probably my fault. He's just upset – he'll be fine once he blows some steam off. I'm going to talk to him later…"

Gabriel drew his legs up the bed, crossing them. He motioned for Yuuri to join him. He was slightly disappointed when the double black didn't take the offer, and remained standing.

"You said some really cruel stuff to Wolfram," Yuuri pointed out. "Don't you regret any of it?"

"Nope," Gabriel stated immediately.

Yuuri faulted, and stared at the younger boy incredulously. "Gabriel! That's a horrible thing to say!"

Gabriel sulked inwardly at Yuuri's scolding, but shrugged slightly. "It's not like Wolfram regrets insulting me, either."

Yuuri sighed. How like a kid, to pin the blame on another person. "That's not the point. The point is, Wolfram's probably just as uncomfortable with you staying here as you are."

"Then why'd he agree to take me in?" Gabriel countered. "We're always fighting. It's obvious we hate each other; Mom knows that. Why would he _still_ give the OK to watch me?"

"I'm not Wolfram, so how should I know? I barely understand how his moods work, let alone his brain," Yuuri muttered.

Gabriel made a small noise of annoyance. "That's just it! It's impossible to know what he's thinking!"

"You two are a lot alike, you know," Yuuri pointed out, suddenly and out of the blue. "You and Wolfram."

Gabriel turned red. "D-don't compare me to him!" he yelled indignantly, leaning towards the Maou in anger. "He's an idiot!"

Yuuri smiled slightly, and ruffled Gabriel's hair. He leaned against the high bed, looking straight into the boy's eyes – they were different than Wolfram's, now that he got a closer look... Wolfram's eyes were more like emeralds; Gabriel's were more like a shade of the sea just after a storm. "You act a lot like me, too, though. I'm the same way about my older brother – I push him away, yell at him, fight with him… But deep down, I still love him. And I know that, deep down, you love Wolfram, too," Yuuri said confidently, removing his hand from the younger boy's hair.

Gabriel growled angrily. He hadn't truly been listening to Yuuri, unable to escape the fact that Yuuri had compared him to Wolfram.

Everyone always did that.

'You're so like Wolfram!' 'You look just like Wolfram when he was your age!' 'If you don't reign in your temper, you'll end up like Wolfram.' 'One Wolfram in the family is enough!'

He was sick of it! Why did everyone constantly compare him to Wolfram? They weren't the same person! They were two completely different people. Just because they were related and looked similar, they were automatically grouped together!

Gabriel shoved Yuuri's arm away from him. "Go away," he muttered moodily.

Yuuri looked surprised. "Gabriel?"

"Just go!" Gabriel snapped, glaring up at the double black. "I don't want to see your face right now!"

Yuuri sighed. Gabriel was going through a hard part of life right now. "All right, Gabriel. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast." He left the room in the stateliest manner he could manage, trying not to show his hurt pride at being thrown out after attempting to help.

Gabriel watched Yuuri's retreating figure for a moment, torn between saying nothing, yelling insults, or yelling at him to come back. By the time he found his voice, the door was shut and Yuuri was gone. He looked away from the door, hating the finality that it seemed to represent. Yuuri had left him alone here, just like everyone else.

Why didn't anyone understand that when he said 'leave me alone', he meant 'I need you here with me'?

-------------

Yuuri gently opened the door to his room, sighing in defeat. "Wolfram—"

"GET OUT!"

Yuuri screamed as the second potted-plant-missile of the night made a beeline for his head. He ducked, and the ceramic pot shattered against the wall across the hall. "Wolfram! What on Earth—"

Wolfram was currently looking for another projectile. Yuuri took the chance to slam the door shut behind him, and heard a loud 'thunk' as something heavy and _hard_ smashed against the wood against his back a fraction of a second later.

"Wolfram! Calm down!" Yuuri called, speaking loudly to be heard through the door.

Yuuri didn't hear a reply. He waited a minute or so before attempting to go into the room again. He dodged another projectile, this one thrown with only half as much force as the past few. He walked over to the angry Wolfram, and grabbed his wrist before he could pick up something that would actual do some harm – the bedside table, for instance. "Wolf, what's with you?"

"What's with me?" Wolfram asked, close to hysteria. "Are you kidding me? What's with _me,_ he asks!"

Yuuri allowed Wolfram to glare at him, breathing heavily for a few seconds. "Wolfram, calm down," he said gently.

Wolfram's expression slowly changed, the anger fading and replaced with something else that Yuuri couldn't quite place at the moment.

A tear escaped the blonde's eyes, and Wolfram threw himself into Yuuri's eyes, more tears following the first and sobs racking his small frame.

Completely caught off guard, Yuuri allowed Wolfram to cry, awkwardly putting an arm around him and rubbing comforting circles around the blonde's back. "Shh… Wolf, it's all right. Everything's all right."

"It is not!" Wolfram sobbed, glaring up at Yuuri. "You don't get it! It's not all right, Yuuri! You're _my_ fiancé, and you're spending time with Gabriel and leaving me alone in the dark, worried and wondering where you are… You don't even stick up for me when he was attacking me at dinner! You're my fiancé, Yuuri…" Wolfram repeated, clinging all the more tightly to the other boy. "You're my fiancé. Not Gabriel's!"

"When did I ever say Gabriel was—"

"You didn't have to," Wolfram stated sharply. "Showing that you obviously prefer Gabriel! He's old enough to be help responsible for his actions, but you still take his side and protect him! You're just like everyone else."

"Wolf—"

"I'm going to sleep in my room, Yuuri, so don't stay up waiting for me," Wolfram said shortly, stalking out of the room, clearly still upset.

Yuuri stared at the door as Wolfram closed it behind him. How had he managed to make two people so angry at once?

-------------

Breakfast the next morning was tense, to put it gently. Wolfram had refused to look at Yuuri, and hadn't said a word to him since the night before. Gabriel hadn't eaten yet, and was merely pushing his food around on his plate, looking bored.

Wolfram finished his food first. The blonde gathered up his plate and utensils, excused himself politely, and left the room, leaving his things with one of the maids.

Yuuri watched after him, eyebrows furrowing. He sighed, and continued to eat.

Gabriel stared at the closed door. "What's gotten into him?" he said bluntly.

"He was upset last night," Yuuri sighed. "He's probably still angry with me."

"If he were a true fiancé, he wouldn't allow his emotions to get the better of him when it came to you, Yuuri," Gabriel pointed out.

Cheri smiled, and sighed dreamily. "No, Gabriel… it's _because_ he allows his emotions to get the better of him when it comes to His Highness that he's such a good fiancé. His passion, his love…! Oh, it's almost too much!"

Yuuri coughed, turning red. "Uh, Cheri?"

Cheri blinked, looking at the double black in surprise. "Did I say something wrong?"

Yuuri sighed. "Forget it…"

Gabriel stared at his aunt with slight annoyance for a moment, before finally deciding to take a bite of food.

--------------

Yuuri was busy with paperwork. Greta was nowhere to be found. Everyone else was busy.

In short, Gabriel was alone and bored. He'd already explored the entire castle with Yuuri the day before, not to mention the fact that he'd been here before. He kicked at a rock, which flew into a nearby wall with a sharp clicking noise.

He heard the sounds of metal on metal. Curious, he followed it from the garden to the courtyard.

He watched as a large group of soldiers, all dressed in blue practiced their swordplay and magic. Every once and a while, they would stop, take a quick rest, and then switch partners.

One soldier, however, seemed to be unbeatable in the group. He had the blonde hair that categorized him as either a Bielefeld or Spitzberg, and even Gabriel had to admit, he was deadly on the battlefield. Even though this was a practice drill, he could tell the other fighters were not holding back on him, and still he sent them packing with little to no effort.

The soldier twisted his wrist, parrying and reposting onto the soldier's jugular. The other combatant sighed, and moved along to his next opponent, and so this continued; the blonde, blue-clad soldier seemed to be fighting with a slight frustration, as if letting it out with physical violence helped.

Gabriel could relate to that; he was known to fight twice as hard when he was angry, and so even his tutors in swordplay were reluctant to spar with him when he'd had a particularly rough day.

The blonde soldier amazed him – all his movements were effortless, calculating, and precise. After a few turns of parrying and failed reposts, the soldier Gabriel had kept his eye on changed his tactics suddenly.

A large ball of fire appeared, flying towards his opponent. Caught off guard, the second soldier didn't even reply to the blonde's attack, and was instead knocked off his feet, singed. "Next," the blonde soldier called out, bored.

Gabriel's eyes widened in surprise. There could be no mistake – that was Wolfram's voice. He scowled, hardly able to believe he had praised his cousin, even though he hadn't known it was him.

Wolfram continued this pattern for a few more minutes before finally calling practice to a halt. "You're doing better," he admitted sternly, "but you're still pathetic. I know you can all do better. You lot had better not disappoint me next practice."

"Yes sir!"

Wolfram nodded. "Dismissed." He brought his sword to his forehead, dipped it towards the soldiers in a show of respect, and brought it down to his side. The soldiers mirrored the movement.

The men filed out of the courtyard to go back to their posts at various points in the castle. Wolfram flipped his hair out of his face, and strode back inside, sheathing his sword.

Gabriel grumbled, and kicked another rock at the wall of the castle.

---------------

Yuuri sighed. He needed a break. Not from studying so much as a break from the hyperactive silver-haired magician that threatened to permanently stain his clothes with blood on a daily, if not hourly, basis. "As fascinating as talking about our trading routes for Bearbee-base paint with that one country—"

"Travenia," Gunter corrected automatically.

"Whatever… Isn't there something more important for me to be learning about? I don't know… like… working on my sword skills with Conrad or something?"

"Your Highness, the best weapon for a warrior is a sharp mind, not a sharp blade!" The older male began ranting about the uses of a mind in battle, and Yuuri repeatedly smacked his head on the table in front of him, cursing himself for his stupidity.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: All right… Just for some clarification, Gabriel, physically, is roughly ten years old. Therefore, his childish actions make sense – he isn't an extremely childish teenager; he still is a kid, so he should be expected to act like one…**

Chapter 4

Wolfram sighed, gazing deeply into the flame before him. Anger shouldn't control him. He had to control it. He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. His legs were cramping up. He'd been sitting outside the castle, attempting to calm himself down, for about an hour now.

Passion was a part of him, he knew that; after all, it was one of his defining characteristics. However, he knew that he had to keep better reign on his emotions. His actions the night before had been beyond deplorable. To think that he'd harm his own fiancé…

Finally believing himself sufficiently calmed down, he entered the Maou's study, just to see Gunter ranting about something and Yuuri repeatedly whacking his forehead on the top of his desk. Raising an eyebrow, he stopped a few feet away. He waited for a moment before the older man noticed him. "Ah, Wolfram, I was just explaining to His Highness how—"

"How interesting," Wolfram said off-handedly. "I've come to borrow Yuuri for a while."

"Eh? But, our lessons weren't schedule to be over until—"

"Consider it his lunch break," Wolfram said closely, grabbing Yuuri's wrist and half-dragging the double-black king after him out the door (not that he seemed to mind – in fact, Wolfram rather had the feeling that Yuuri was thanking him mentally).

Wolfram and Yuuri dropped by the kitchen, each grabbing something for their impromptu lunch. They then walked together out into the garden.

Eventually, the couple settled themselves in the portion of the garden that Cheri had dedicated to roses and the blue flowers she had modeled and named after her fiery-tempered son. Yuuri took a bite of bread, chewing it thoughtfully, before looking over at Wolfram, swallowing heavily. "I owe you one. Thanks for saving me from the tutor from hell."

Wolfram rolled his eyes. "Part of my job…" he grumbled. "Wimp."

Yuuri didn't bother to retaliate, and just took another bite of his food. While he was chewing, he heard something he never thought he'd hear Wolfram say:

"I'm sorry."

Yuuri choked as the half-chewed bread went down the wrong tube. He grabbed his throat, his face reddening. Wolfram gave an indignant yell of "Wimp!" and whacked Yuuri on the back, hard enough to dislodge the chunk of food.

Yuuri coughed a few times, and then looked at Wolfram in shock. "Y-You what?!"

Wolfram's eyes narrowed. "What, wimp? I can't say I'm sorry?"

"Th-that's not what I meant…" Yuuri said nervously.

Wolfram snorted, and looked away from the other boy. After a slight pause, he looked back at him, grudgingly. "I mean it. I… overreacted. I shouldn't have thrown all that stuff at you."

Yuuri sighed, and leaned backwards slightly, tilting his head back to look up at the sky. "What were you so mad about, anyways? I was just spending some time with Gabriel."

"That's… just it…" Wolfram said reluctantly. "You and I… we never spend time like that together. And yet you spent it with Gabriel so willingly, when you haven't known him half as long as you've known me."

Yuuri looked at the blonde, eyes blinking in surprise and confusion. "Wolfram…?"

"What, wimp?" Wolfram asked, taking a rather large, impolite bite of his own lunch.

"…Are you… by any chance… jealous?"

It was Wolfram's turn to choke.

Yuuri panicked, and smacked Wolfram on the back as the blonde had done for him. "W-Wolf, are you okay?"

Wolfram coughed once, and turned on him, flushing a bright red. "Me? Jealous?! Of that brat? Why should I be?!"

"I-It was just a question, Wolfram! You don't have to get all serious about it!" Yuuri explained hurriedly, holding his hands up in self-defense.

Wolfram growled in annoyance, refusing to meet Yuuri's eye. "Idiot! You're my fiancé! He may try, but he can't take that from me!"

Yuuri knew better than to argue that point with the stubborn blonde… Besides. The fact that he was 'engaged' to Wolfram hardly bothered him anymore… he'd grown used to it. "It's okay if you're jealous, you know, Wolfram," Yuuri teased.

"Sh-shut up!" Wolfram protested, his blush darkening.

Yuuri found this amusing. Wolfram was adorable when he was riled up. He laughed, holding his sides. "Come on, Wolfram! I just mean that you shouldn't worry!"

Wolfram threw the remainder of his loaf of bread at Yuuri, hitting the Japanese teen smack in the forehead. "Yuuri, you WIMP!"

-----------------

Yuuri sighed, not even half-listening to Gunter's newest speech on some kind of greeting from some country halfway across the globe from them (which involved a large number of body movements that looked eerily like the Macarena). Instead, he tapped his pen on the desk, trying to look like he was listening to his tutor's words.

Ten minutes, and he'd be free from this hell… Just ten more minutes.

_Then again_, he thought off-handedly,_ it could be going from one level of hell to another._

After lunch, he'd promised Wolfram to spend some time with him, just as he'd done with Gabriel. It had definitely shut the blonde up (and turned him an amusingly bright shade of pink), and it was something to keep his mind occupied.

Conrad, over in one corner of the room, sent Yuuri a knowing smile as the young king fidgeted. Yuuri had the feeling that Conrad was enjoying himself.

Yuuri looked over when he heard a knock coming from the study door. "Come on in," he called, smiling. "You're early—"

"You were expecting me?" Gabriel questioned, tilting his head innocently. He sent Yuuri another adorable smile. Yuuri found himself absent-mindedly placing that smile on Wolfram's face.

"Oh… Sorry, I thought you were Wolfram," Yuuri apologized. "We're going out for a bit later," he explained.

Gabriel paused for a moment, as if processing this information. "Ah… that's too bad," he admitted. "Are you bringing Greta with you?"

"Wolfram said that we've done things as a family, but not as a couple…" Yuuri half mumbled. "So it's just going to be the two of us."

Gabriel gave Yuuri a strange smile – something was wrong about it, but he couldn't quite place it. "That's fine. If Greta's here, that means I'll at least have someone to play with. But promise that we can play tomorrow, Yuuri!"

"Gabriel," Gunter protested. "His Majesty is an extremely busy—"

"That sounds fine," Yuuri smiled. "Mind if a few others join in? We can play a game of baseball."

"As long as Yuuri's playing, I don't mind," Gabriel stated, nodding. "It'll be fun!"

Yuuri laughed. "Definitely… I haven't played baseball in ages!"

Gabriel looked behind him, frowning. "Oh… Wolfram's here…"

The blonde soldier entered the room, sending a glance towards his cousin, but otherwise, he made no motion that he even noticed the other Bielefeld was in the room. "Yuuri," he greeted, nodding his head. "I had the maids pack us a dinner. Let's get going."

"A picnic?" Yuuri questioned, standing and dusting off his pants. "That's the second time today…"

"You always complain about being cooped up inside," Wolfram pointed out dryly. "I thought you'd enjoy it. Come on. Our horses are waiting outside." Yuuri followed after the other boy, wondering just what exactly he'd planned for their 'couple time'. Then again… Who was he kidding… it was a date.

Gabriel watched as Yuuri and Wolfram disappeared around a corner. He felt something tug at his heart, and his stomach tightened itself into a knot.

--------------

Yuuri was pleasantly surprised when Wolfram dismounted his horse in a rather familiar place. They had been here a few times; the view of the capitol was beautiful. In the spring, the field below them was always full of flowers. Now, in the time between spring and summer, it was filled with swaying grasses and the remnants of earlier flowers, as well as the buds of flowers that would bloom in the coming weeks.

He helped Wolfram spread the blanket out underneath a tree, in the area freest of rocks they could find. Yuuri made himself comfortable, laying back and closing his eyes. It was warm out, but not as hot as it usually was at this time of year, as if the seasons were merely toying with summer.

Wolfram made himself comfortable on the blanket, unpacking their lunch as Yuuri sat down next to them.

They ate in complete silence for a while. On several occasions, Yuuri saw Wolfram open his mouth as if to say something, then change his mind and take a bite of food.

"Wolfram."

"Yeah?"

"Just say it."

Wolfram's hand twitched. "Um…"

"Wolf."

"Well, it's just…" It was unusual for Yuuri to see Wolfram uncomfortable. The soldier usually projected an air of confidence, as if there were nothing he couldn't do. Yuuri couldn't help but think it was kind of cute. "Yuuri… I've seen it a few times… Some times… When Gabriel smiles at you, you, well… get this look in your eyes. Like you're far away." His expression turned sour, and he looked at Yuuri with a familiar flame in his eyes. "I won't tolerate you having those sorts of thoughts about my little cousin, Yuuri."

"What? Are you saying I'd cheat with Gabriel?" Yuuri asked indignantly. "He's, what? Nine?"

"Fifty-three," Wolfram waved him off. "That's not the point, though. I'm saying this in two lights, Yuuri – one, as your fiancé, not wanting you to cheat, and two, as Gabriel's older cousin, wanting to protect his honor. I may not act like it, but I do actually care about the brat. Just a little, though. Don't you overestimate it."

Yuuri's expression softened. "Don't worry about it. And, actually… when he smiles…" Yuuri wondered if this would sound strange, but it was too late to go back now. "I'm always imagining you smiling like that. You know. Not one of those small smiles you sometimes show, but… a real one. You always hold yourself back, keeping yourself composed. It's okay to let go sometimes, Wolfram."

Wolfram didn't know how to reply to that. He looked at Yuuri out of the corner of his eye. The double black king was looking straight at him, a serious air replacing his usual carefree one. "What do you mean? I smile plenty."

"Not really. A completely let-loose smile – that's what I mean, Wolfram."

"Maybe there's never been a reason for one," Wolfram shot back, slightly annoyed.

"Then tell me what would give you a reason for one," Yuuri replied. "Whatever it is, I'll do it."

Wolfram thought for a moment. He could use this against Yuuri, and he knew it. He could do a number of things to the double black (most things rather sadistic and geared towards his own sick amusement), but he knew what he most wanted. "Kiss me."

Yuuri looked taken back, and turned a bright red. "What?"

"You heard me," Wolfram said, rolling his eyes. "If you kiss me, I'll smile for you."


End file.
